Being the amazing, true-to-life adventures and (very likely) misadventures of a writer who seeks to take his education, activism and seemingly boundless energy to North Minneapolis, (NoMi) to help with a process of turning a rapidly revitalizing neighborhood into something approaching Urban Utopia. I am here to be near my child. From 02/08 to 06/15 this blog pushed free speech to the envelope, so others could take heart and speak unafraid. Email me at hoffjohnw@gmail.com

The newly-obtained warrant and inventory document provides an additional rich level of detail which leaves little doubt about how closely Flowers was associating with a convicted crack dealer and known gang member, closely enough for Flowers' wallet to be found on the floor next to a bed in the "lower level NE bedroom." Most telling of all is the inventory of seized items, to be found near the end of the document.

Here is the document, as follows...STATE OF MINNESOTA, COUNTY OF HENNEPIN, DISTRICT COURTAPPLICATION FOR SEARCH WARRANT AND SUPPORTING AFFIDAVIT

Deputy Erik Fleck being first duly sworn upon oath, hereby makes application to this Court for a warrant to search the premises hereinafter described.

Affiant knows the contents of this application and supporting affidavit, and the statements herein are true to the affiants own knowledge, save as such as are herein stated on information and belief, and as to those, affiant believes them to be true.

Affiant has good reason to believe, and does believe, that the following described property and things, to wit:

Controlled substances to include, but not limited to, Marijuana, Packaging equipment such as baggies, tin foil, knives, spoons, razors and scales. Documents, notes, papers, ledgers, pagers, cell phones and their displays, computers including hard drives, peripherals and removable storage media and videotapes to show activities of controlled substance distribution and to indicate names, addresses and phone numbers of possible sources and/or customers of controlled substances. Monies to show profit of the sale of controlled substances. Documents, receipts, letters, bills and identification to show constructive possession of the items seized. Firearms.

are at the premises described as:

6129 France Avenue South, Any and all garages, sheds, outbuildings and/or vehicles on property intended to be used by occupants of 6129 and associated with 6129 France Ave South, Located in the City of Edina, County of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota.

This affiant applies for issuance of a search warrant upon the following grounds.

The possession of the property above described constitutes a crime.

The property above described constitutes evidence which tends to show a crime has been committed, or tends to show that a particular person has committed a crime.

The facts tending to establish the foregoing grounds for issuance of a search warrant are as follows:

Your affiant, Deputy Erik D. Fleck, is employed by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and has been a deputy sheriff since 1999. Your affiant is currently assigned to the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF). In this capacity, your affiant has been working with experienced officers and has been involved with the execution of numerous search warrants, with surveillance and arrests for narcotics and violence related law violations. Before being assigned to the VOTF, your affiant had been assigned to the Narcotics Unit for almost three years. During that time, your affiant had written, applied for and executed many search warrants and participated in many narcotics related investigations.

Your affiant is currently involved in the criminal investigation of Brandon Michael WILSON (03/21/80) and his residence located at 6129 France Avenue South in the City of Edina. The details are as follows.

In the past two months, your affiant has been in contact with a confidential reliable informant (CRI). This CRI has provided the names, numbers and addresses of numerous individuals involved in narcotics trafficking. The information provided by the CRI has been independently corroborated by other law enforcement officers and your affiant and has been under the direction and control of your affiant and other law enforcement officers. The CRI has an extensive knowledge of the drug trade.

This CRI has informed your affiant that this CRI knows an individual by the name of "STRAP" that is selling cocaine and large amounts of marijuana from his residence located at 6129 France Avenue South in Edina. The CRI describes the residence as a grayish tan house that has been turned into a side by side duplex with a "tuck under" garage and swimming pool in the back yard. The CRI further states that the suspect lives in the north half of the duplex and the numbers 6129 are beside the front door that faces France Avenue.

The CRI stated that "STRAP" is a black male, approximately 28-30 years old, very short, stocky build, with short dark hair. This CRI stated "STRAP" is a member of the Crips gang. The CRI stated that within the past five weeks the CRI has seen "STRAP" in possession of cocaine and marijuana. The CRI states that "STRAP" may have a gun, but has not seen it.

Your affiant was able to find an individual with the alias "STRAP" in the Minneapolis CAPRS report system that matched the description given by the CRI. This individual's name is Brandon Michael WILSON. (03/21/80)

Your affiant showed the CRI a driver's license photo of WILSON to the CRI and positively identified WILSON as the individual the CRI knows as "STRAP."

Within the past week, your affiant and other officers conducted surveillance at 6129 France Avenue South in the City of Edina. During that surveillance, your affiant and other officers observed WILSON in the front yard and going in and out of the front door of the house.

Your affiant checked the computerized criminal history of WILSON and learned that WILSON has been convicted of 5th Degree Drugs (Crack) in 2000, a 2nd Degree Assault that was amended to Interfere w/ 911 call in 2001, 5th Degree Drugs (Crack) in 2002 and Burglary in 2003. It also showed two 1998 Drugs charges (both crack) that were not prosecuted, a 1998 Aggravated Robbery with a "held" status, a 1999 Burglary with a "held" status, a 2001 Burglary with a "held" status and a 2006 1st Degree Drugs charge with a "held" status.

Your affiant has learned that WILSON was arrested on August 24, 2009, for 5th Degree Drugs in Dakota County.

Your affiant has checked with the Minneapolis Police Department Records and learned that WILSON has had numerous contacts with the Minneapolis Police. Minneapolis has been arrested 7 times (sic) for narcotics violations (most of which were crack cocaine), including a sale to an undercover officer and was a suspect in two other crack cocaine cases. WILSON was arrested once for 2nd Degree Assault in which a handgun was involved and four times for Domestic Assault. WILSON was the suspect in four other assaults two of which handguns were involved and once where he allegedly shot at the victim.

Within the past 72 hours your affiant has met with the previously mentioned CRI and searched the body and the vehicle for weapons, narcotics, money or other contraband and found none. Your affiant gave the CRI a quantity of HCSO pre-recorded buy fund money so that the CRI could purchase a quantity of marijuana from WILSON. Your affiant followed the CRI to the predetermined meet location. Surveillance officers watched as the CRI met with Wilson at 6129 France Avenue South in Edina. After the meeting, the CRI left the residence and your affiant followed the CRI away. Your affiant was handed a quantity of marijuana (later field-tested positive) that the CRI stated had been purchased from WILSON using the HCSO buy fund money. Your affiant again searched the CRI and the vehicle and found no contraband.

Based upon the information received from the CRI and the observations made by the CRI, the previous police contact history with WILSON, WILSON's criminal history, the controlled purchase of marijuana and the surveillance observations, your affiant believes that narcotics, namely marijuana, are at the residence located at 6129 France Avenue South in Edina.

Therefore, your affiant respectfully requests that a daytime unannounced search warrant be granted for the residence located at 6129 France Avenue South in Edina, County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota.

(Two words illegible on my copy) outside the hours between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM is necessary to prevent the loss, destruction or removal of the objects of the search or to protect the searchers or the public because.

(Illegible)

An unannounced entry is necessary to prevent the loss, destruction or removal of the objects of the search and to protect the safety of the peace officers because:

Because of the weapons and assault history of the suspect, your affiant believes that an unannounced entry is necessary to allow entering officers the element of surprise, thereby giving any suspects inside minimal time to arm themselves and do harm to entering officer's (sic), themselves, other suspects in the residence, or the general public.

WHEREFORE Affiant requests a search warrant be issued commanding Deputy Fleck, Detectives Lunde and (illegible, could be Sweitzer) and all other officers under their direction and control, peace officers, of the State of Minnesota, to enter without announcement of authority and purpose between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 PM only) to search the herein-before described premises for the described property and things and to seize said property and things and keep said property and things in custody until the same be dealt with according to law.

(The warrant was approved by Judge Patricia L. Belois, Judge of District Court)

(The attached receipt and inventory following the execution of the search warrant was as follows)

I, Dep. Fleck, received the attached search warrant issued by the Honorable Judge Belois on September 17, 2009, and have executed it as follows:

Pursuant to said warrant, on September 23rd, 2009, at 0745 o'clock a.m., I searched the premises described in said warrant, and left a true and correct copy of said warrant at 6129 France Ave. S, Edina.

I took into custody the property and things listed below.

1. One box of zip-loc storage bags, Found on shelf on center island in kitchen by Poidinger.

2.) Two zip-loc baggies--Found in top drawer of kitchen island by Poidinger.

3.) One mailing for Alfred D. Flowers Jr., one mailing in name of Angela Anderson--found in SW top kitchen drawer by Poidinger.

This area of edina is a 'low rent' district. Traffic on France Ave flies by these duplexes and multi family units. Not an appealing part of Edina.My guess is that it's Edina's contribution to 'affodable housing.'

Al Flowers is an Idiot. Not that we didn't know this already but he keeps proving it. Sooner or later the Idiots will bring about their own demise.

What is depressing is not that he's a candidate for Mayor. What is depressing is that there are people in North Minneapolis who listen to Al Flowers and believe in Al Flowers. Though he has a big mouth, it is the people who continually exhibit demand for and publicize his Idiocy that I find most troubling.

Anon 10:41 said, "it is the people who continually exhibit demand for and publicize his Idiocy that I find most troubling.":

I agree! The idea that this guy, who can't even keep a job or an apartment, and who appears to be crashing with gang members in a drug/gun house is somehow qualified to be in charge of the city's business is just INSANE.

I am concerned that with the unpredictability associated with the new voting system, the Ward 5 race may be more "interesting" than Samuels supporters (such as myself) would like to see.

The key, I believe, is to publicize the fact that each voter is permitted to vote for (rank) ONE candidate.It is not necessary to rank them all, and completely permissible to RANK ONLY ONE CANDIDATE.

For me, my sole vote and only ranking will go to the individual who has proven to me that he can listen, that he cares about the gunshots, the crack dealing and the prostitution, that he knows how to dream big, and that he works his ass off in order to execute a plan. That lone individual is Don Samuels.

Without Don's help, my little corner of the Northside would still be over-run with the constant dealing, fighting, murdering, robbing, stealing and general rudeness that emanated from the house with the Natalie Johnson Lee (NJL) sign wired to the chain link fence for the past four years.

On the other end of the neighborhood, drive down Penn Avenue toward 55. You'll see a few NJL signs planted in several yards as you near Highway 55. Don't walk there at night. There is an inescapeable correlation between the location of the NJL signage and the worst of the long standing crminal activity in this corner of town.

NJL's campaign slogan goes something like this: "Vote for Natalie Johnson Lee... because we *all* live here."Apparently she doesn't get it. It is precisely because of the fact that some of her gang banging, murderous supporters still live here that I am planning to make Don Samuels my FIRST and ONLY choice for Ward 5 CM.